Citizens of the City of Purcell will be voting on Tuesday, February 9th, 2021 to approve or deny a new lodging tax. The tax is intended to enhance tourism by helping to fund event advertising, and to help create and maintain venue infrastructure, without taxing the citizens of our community.

Why a Lodging Tax?

• Our community has many economic development and tourism needs.
• We have limited revenue streams to provide resources to meet those needs.
• Lodging taxes are widely accepted and implemented in other cities.
• It has the potential to generate more sales tax revenue from sources outside of our community.

Who would the tax apply to?

• This tax would apply to guests staying in any hotel, motel, Airbnb, bed and breakfast, RV park, or any other entity that collects a daily fee for an overnight stay.
• This tax would not apply to permanent residents of Purcell.

How much would the lodging tax be?

• Proposed rate for Purcell:  5%
• Nearby cities that already have a lodging tax include:
  • Pauls Valley:  5%
  • Ardmore:  5%
  • Norman:  5%
  • Chickasha:  5%
  • Oklahoma City:  5.5%

How would the funds be administered?

• A Lodging Tax Committee would be established to collect and disperse the funds per specified guidelines.
• Members would include:
  • City Council Member
  • City Manager
  • Parks & Recreation Department Employee
  • Hotel Representative
  • Citizen at Large
  • Merchant
  • Heart of Oklahoma Executive Director

How will funds be collected?

• Lodging proprietors will collect tax from non-resident lodging guests.
• Tax will be submitted to the City Clerk monthly and deposited into a designated special fund.
• Lodging proprietors would submit their payment by the 15th of each month.
• Lodging proprietors would pay a past due fee after the 25th of each month with a penalty.

How will the tax be spent?

• Advertising and promotion of tourism events and venues:
  • Billboards, print, radio, tv, social media, etc.
• Government or non-profit owned tourism events and venue infrastructure:
  • Enhancements to existing public amenities such as parks, recreation areas, museums, etc.
  • Fund events that create overnight stays.